Arkansas geoscientist publishes book on climate change in cold regions

John C. Dixon's book features contributions from 44 scientists based around the world. | Contributed photo

University of Arkansas
geoscientist John C. Dixon recently co-edited a book, "Source-to-Sink Fluxes in Undisturbed Cold Environments," that
captures the diversity of cold regions and how they are being affected by
climate change.

“We identify the main
factors accounting for differences in the amounts of solid and dissolved
materials transported across cold climate landscapes,”
Dixon said. “We also explain why there are variations in the
amounts of solid and dissolved materials transported in different cold
climate landscapes. This research has particular implications for water quality
and nutrient availability in these ecologically sensitive environments.”

The book features
contributions from 44 scientists based around the world and details the variables
that make cold landscapes so diverse. Information in the book includes 12 years
of observations from 36 test sites. Covering arctic, Antarctic and alpine
environments, the book details how researchers are working to understand the
ways these environments will likely change due to climate change.

“We are seeing a
window to what will happen less intensely at lower latitudes,” said Dixon, who
teaches in the Department of Geosciences and the J. William Fulbright College
of Arts and Sciences.

Dixon’s co-editors on
the book are Achim Beylich, from Norway, and
Zbigniew Zwolinski, from Poland.